Device for supporting lumbar vertebras and/or sacrospinal muscles

ABSTRACT

This invention relates to a device for supporting lumbar vertebras and/or sacrospinal muscles, generally called a lumbar belt. The inventive device comprises a back lumbar supporting part ( 1 ) and two lateral parts ( 2   a   , 2   b ) which are connected to the said back part ( 1 ) and provided with additional closing means ( 12   b ) arranged on the free front ends thereof. The external surface of the back part ( 1 ) comprises fixing means which interact with additional fixing means ( 9   a   , 9   b ) connected to the free back ends of the lateral parts ( 2   a   , 2   b ) in such a way that it is possible to close the belt without overlapping the said lateral parts ( 2   a   , 2   b ) on the abdominal region of a patient.

The present patent application is a non-provisional application ofInternational Application No. PCT/FR2003/003941, filed Dec. 30, 2003.

This invention relates to a device for supporting lumbar vertebrasand/or sacrospinal muscles commonly called a lumbar belt.

In the field of orthopaedic devices, so-called lumbar belts designed totreat lumbar pain caused by isolated lumbopelvic strain or repeatedstresses on lumbopelvic anatomic structures are well known. Furthermore,it is well known that these lumbar belts can be worn to reinforce theabdominal belt for post-surgical support or temporary support of theabdominal belt during strain or reeducation periods, etc.

Most of these lumbar belts are composed of a posterior lumbar supportpart and two lateral parts fixed to the posterior part and provided withadditional separable closing means on the abdomen such as for exampleVelcro (registered trademark) at their front free ends. For example,this is the case for American patent U.S. Pat. No. 4,768,499 thatdescribes a support belt for back and abdominal muscles. The beltincludes a posterior non-padded central part made from leather andpositioned in the hollow of the back to cover the five lumbar vertebrasand sacrospinal muscles on each side of the lumbar vertebras. The endsof the belt extend starting from the posterior central part such thatthe said ends are fixed together around the patient's abdominal muscles.Thus, the posterior central part bears in contact with the lumbar zonepressing forwards in a position that restrains the sacrospinal musclesand applies pressure on the lumbar vertebras to prevent them fromrelaxing, that could cause pain in the lower part of the patient'sspinal column.

These lumbar belts have the disadvantage that they create anextra-thickness on the abdominal belt when they are opened, the twolateral parts of the belt provided with self-gripping type closingmeans, for example such as “Velcro”, overlapping to close the said belt,which is uncomfortable for the patient.

Therefore one of the purposes of the invention is to overcome thisdisadvantage by proposing a simple and inexpensive design for a lumbarbelt to close the belt without overlapping of the lateral parts on thepatient's abdominal area.

To achieve this, the invention proposed a device for supporting lumbarvertebras and/or sacrospinal muscles, commonly called a lumbar belt, andcomprising a posterior lumbar support part and two lateral parts fixedto the posterior part and provided with additional closing means attheir free front ends, remarkable in the outside face of the posteriorpart includes attachment means that can cooperate with additionalattachment means fixed to the free back ends of the lateral parts inorder to close the belt without the lateral parts overlapping on thepatient's abdominal area.

It can clearly be understood that unlike devices according to prior art,the dimensions of the lumbar belt are adjusted on the posterior lumbarsupport part, in other words in the patient's back and not at the frontfree ends of the lateral parts on the abdominal area of the saidpatient.

Other advantages and characteristics will become clear after reading thefollowing execution variant given as a non-limitative example of thedevice for supporting lumbar vertebras in accordance with the inventionreferenced with the attached drawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the device for supporting lumbarvertebras according to the invention,

FIG. 2 is a top view of elements of the lumbar vertebras support deviceaccording to the invention when developed.

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the device for supporting lumbarvertebras or sacrospinal muscles is composed of a posterior lumbarsupport part 1 and two lateral parts 2 a and 2 b that will be describedin detail later. The posterior part 1 is obtained from a fabric and ithas a globally trapezoidal shape, the large and the small base of theposterior part 1 being convex to match the curvature of the patient'sbody on which the lumbar vertebra support device is put into place. Itwill be noted that the small and the large base respectively form theupper part and the lower part respectively of the said posterior part 1.The posterior part is advantageously obtained from a longitudinallyresilient fabric to provide setting in the lumbopelvic region. Moreover,the said posterior part 1 comprises a braid 3 at its periphery toprevent it from fraying, the said braid 3 being slightly resilient. Theposterior part 1 is provided with loops on its outside face that doesnot bear on the patient's body, capable of cooperating with additionalVelcro (registered trademark) type closing mean hooks fixed to the freeback end of the lateral parts 2 a and 2 b.

Furthermore, the posterior part 1 also comprises four transversewhalebones extending parallel to each other from the small base to thelarge base of the posterior part 1 and uniformly distributed on eachside of the axis of symmetry S of the said posterior part 1. Thus, theposterior part 1 comprises two central whalebones 4 and two externalwhalebones 5 extending in sheaths 6 and 7 respectively sewn on theoutside face of the posterior part. 1 so as to not make the patientuncomfortable. It will be seen that the term “central whalebones” 4refers to the whalebones extending close-to the axis of symmetry S ofthe posterior part 1. The sheaths 7 of the external whalebones 5 areobtained from a fabric with loops that can cooperate with the hookedclosing means of the lateral parts 2 a, 2 b, as will be seen later.Furthermore, the sheaths 6 of the central whalebones are made from asmooth material such that the lateral parts 2 a, 2 b cannot be fixedadjacent to the said central whalebones 4. Furthermore, the centralwhalebones 4 and the external whalebones 5 of the posterior part 1 areadvantageously curved such that the outside face of the posterior part 1is concave and that the inside face, in other words the face bearing onthe patient's lumbar areas, of the said posterior part 1 is convex tomatch the natural curvature of the lower part of the back.

The lateral parts 2 a, 2 b referenced in FIGS. 1 and 2 are composed of astrip of rectangular fabric provided with braids 8 a and 8 brespectively at its periphery to prevent it from fraying. Each lateralpart 2 a, 2 b comprises a strip of fabric 9 a and 9 b respectively atone of its ends called the free back end, provided with hooks that cancooperate with the loops of the outside face of the posterior part 1.These fabric strips 9 a, 9 b are sewn to the free back ends of thelateral part 2 a and 2 b respectively. Each lateral part 2 a, 2 bcomprises a transverse whalebone close to its front free end called theabdominal support whalebone 10 a and 10 b respectively that extends in asheath 11 a and 11 b respectively sewn on the outside face of thelateral parts 2 a and 2 b respectively.

In the same way as above, the lateral parts 2 a and 2 b areadvantageously made from a fabric with loops 12 a on its outside face,in other words the face of the lateral parts 2 a and 2 b that do notcome into contact with the patient's skin, the loops cooperating withadditional hooked type closing means 12 b such as Velcro (registeredtrademark).

This fabric is also advantageously resilient in the longitudinaldirection.

One of the lateral parts 2 a, 2 b, in this particular example embodiment(in fact the left lateral part 2 b) comprises a fabric strip 12 b at itsfront free end provided with additional closing means of the sewn hookstype at the said free end of the lateral part 2 b. Thus, the lateralparts 2 a, 2 b are fixed to the posterior part 1 by closing means 9 a, 9b such that the transverse edges of the parts 2 a, 2 b extend parallelto the transverse edges of the posterior part 1, the free ends of thelateral parts 2 a and 2 b respectively preferably being positionedbetween the central whalebones 4 and the transverse edges of the saidposterior part 1. It will be observed that the back ends of the lateralparts cannot be fixed to the posterior part 1 beyond the centralwhalebones 4 for which the sheath 6 obtained from a smooth materialprevents fixing of the lateral parts 2 a and 2 b respectively.

In one particularly advantageous manner, the outside face of theposterior part 1 comprises marking lines 13 extending parallel to and/orperpendicular to the lateral edges of the posterior part 1, the saidlines being shown as chain dotted lines in FIG. 2.

These lines assure the patient that the transverse edges of the lateralparts 2 a and 2 b are well aligned and are parallel to the transverseedges of the posterior part 1.

Accessorily, the device for supporting lumbar vertebras and/orsacrospinal muscles comprises two secondary lateral parts 14 a, 14 bcomposed of two narrow rectangular fabric strips obtained from alongitudinally elastic fabric and provided with loops capable ofcooperating with additional hooked closing means on one of its facescorresponding to the outside face of these secondary lateral parts 14 a,14 b. These secondary lateral parts 14 a, 14 b are slightly shorter thanthe lateral parts 2 a and 2 b. Furthermore, these secondary lateralparts 14 a, 14 b include self-gripping attachment means 15 a, 16 a and15 b, 16 b on their inside face at their slightly rounded front and backfree ends, of the hooked type capable of cooperating with loops on theoutside face of the said secondary lateral parts 14 a, 14 b and/orlateral parts 2 a, 2 b respectively and/or loops on the outside face andthe posterior part.

Thus, a first secondary lateral part is fixed in the lower part of theposterior part 1, between the central whalebones 4 in an area 17 shownin dashed lines in FIG. 2 such that the first lateral part 14 a extendsglobally perpendicular to the right transverse edge of the posteriorpart 1, in other words parallel to the lateral part 2 a. The back end ofthe second secondary lateral part 14 b is then fixed on the upper faceof the first secondary lateral part 14 a above the area 17 forattachment of the posterior part 1 such that the second secondarylateral part 14 b extends perpendicular to the second left lateral partof the posterior part 1 parallel to the lateral part 2 b, and thelateral parts 2 a and 2 b and the lateral parts 14 a and 14 b, extendparallel to the axis of symmetry S of the said posterior part. The freefront ends of the secondary lateral parts 14 a, 14 b are then fixed tothe outside face of the lateral part 2 a, 2 b such that the saidsecondary lateral parts 14 a, 14 b are tensioned so as to obtain anadditional pressure point facing the area 17 on the patient's lumbarvertebras.

Obviously, the attachment means and the additional attachment means ofthe posterior part 1, the lateral parts 2 a, 2 b and the secondarylateral parts 14 a, 14 b may consist of any known attachment means suchas self-gripping, hook/hook or similar attachment means.

Moreover, it is quite obvious that the loops on the outside faces of theposterior part 1 and/or the principal lateral parts 2 a, 2 b and/orsecondary parts 14 a, 14 b may consist of loops of a fabric strip sewnonto the outside face of the said parts, without going outside the scopeof the invention.

Finally, it is obvious that the examples that have just been describedabove are no more than particular illustrations and that differentvariants of the device for supporting lumbar vertebras could bedesigned, without going outside the scope of the invention.

1. Device for supporting lumbar vertebras and/or sacrospinal musclescommonly called a lumbar belt, comprising a posterior lumbar supportpart (1), two lateral parts (2 a, 2 b), each lateral part (2 a,2 b)being provided with a front free end, a free back end, closing means (12a) and complementary closing means (12 b) at their respective front freeends, and with complementary adjustable fixing means (9 a, 9 b)connected to the free back ends of each lateral parts (2 a, 2 b), anoutside face of a posterior part (1) comprising fixing means capable ofcooperating with the complementary adjustable fixing means (9 a, 9 b)connected to the free back ends of the lateral parts (2 a, 2 b) in sucha way that the free back ends of the lateral parts (2 a, 2 b) arecapable of closing the belt without being overlapped on the abdominalregion of the patient.
 2. Device according to claim 1, characterised inthat the posterior part (1) has a globally trapezoidal shape, a largeand a small base of the trapezoid being convex, provided with at leastfour whalebones, two central whalebones (4) and two external whalebones(5) extending transversally from the small base to the large base anddistributed on each side of an axis of symmetry (S) of the posteriorpart (1).
 3. Device according to claim 2, characterised in that thecentral whalebones (4) are fixed on the outside face of the posteriorpart (1) by a sheath (6) obtained from a smooth material so as toprevent fixing of the lateral parts (2 a, 2 b) on the said centralwhalebones (4).
 4. Device according to any one of the previous claims,characterised in that each lateral part (2 a, 2 b) comprises a front endand at least one transverse whalebone (l0 a, l0 b) close to the frontend for abdominal support.
 5. Device according to claim 1, characterisedin that it comprises two secondary lateral parts (14 a, 14 b) comprisingfree ends, a middle face, an outside face and attachment means on itsfree ends, on its inside face (15 a, 16 a, 15 b, 16 b) that cancooperate firstly with complementary attachment means on the outsideface of the said secondary lateral parts (14 a, 14 b) and/or on anoutside face of the lateral parts (2 a, 2 b), and secondly with acomplementary attachment means of the outside face of the posteriorlumbar subpart part (1).
 6. Device according to claim 1, characterisedin that the posterior lumbar support part and/or the lateral parts (2 a,2 b) and/or secondary lateral parts (14 a, 14 b) are obtained from alongitudinally elastic fabric.
 7. Device according to claim 2,characterised in that the central (4) and external (5) whalebones of theposterior part (1) are curved such that the outside face of theposterior part (1) is concave and an inside face of the said posteriorpart (1) that bears on the patients lumbar vertebras is convex. 8.Device according to claim 5, characterised in that the attachment meansof the outside face of the posterior Lumbar support part (1) and/or thelateral parts (2 a, 2 b) and/or the secondary lateral parts (14 a, 14 b)and the complementary attachment means (9 a, 9 b, 15 a, 16 a, 15 b, 16b, 12 b) consist of attachment means of the loop/hook or hook/hook type.9. Device for supporting lumbar vertebras and/or sacrospinal musclescommonly called a lumbar belt, comprising a posterior lumbar supportpart (1), wherein said posterior lumbar support part (1) has a globallytrapezoidal shape, a large and a small base of the trapezoid beingconvex, provided with at least four whalebones, two central whalebones(4) and two external whalebones (5) extending transversally from thesmall base to the large base and distributed on each side of an axis ofsymmetry (S) of the posterior part (1), two lateral parts (2 a, 2 b),each lateral part (2 a,2 b) being provided with closing means (12 a) andcomplementary closing means (12 b) at their respective front free ends,and with complementary adjustable fixing means (9 a, 9 b) connected tothe free back ends of each lateral parts (2 a, 2 b), the outside face ofthe posterior part (1) comprising fixing means capable of cooperatingwith complementary adjustable fixing means (9 a, 9 b) connected to thefree back ends of the lateral parts (2 a, 2 b) in such a way that thefree back ends of the lateral parts (2 a, 2 b) are capable of closingthe belt without being overlapped on the abdominal region of thepatient.
 10. Device according to claim 9, characterised in that thecentral whalebones (4) are fixed on the outside face of the posteriorpart (1) by a sheath (6) obtained from a smooth material so as toprevent fixing of the lateral parts (2 a, 2 b) on the said centralwhalebones (4).
 11. Device according to any one of claims 9 or 10characterised in that each lateral part (2 a, 2 b) comprises at leastone transverse whalebone (l0 a, l0 b) close to its front end forabdominal support.
 12. Device according to claim 9, characterised inthat it comprises two secondary lateral parts (14 a, 14 b) comprisingattachment means on its free ends, on its inside face (15 a, 16 a, 15 b,16 b) that can cooperate firstly with complementary attachment means onthe outside face of the said secondary lateral parts (14 a, 14 b) and/orprincipal lateral parts (2 a, 2 b), and secondly with the complementaryattachment means of the outside face of the posterior part (1). 13.Device according to claim 9, characterised in that the posterior partand/or the principal lateral parts (2 a, 2 b) and/or the secondarylateral parts (14 a, 14 b) are obtained from a longitudinally elasticfabric.
 14. Device according to claim 9, characterised in that thecentral (4) and external (5) whalebones of the posterior part (1) arecurved such that the outside face of the posterior part (1) is concaveand the inside face of the said posterior part (1) that bears on thepatient's lumbar vertebras is convex.
 15. Device according to claim 9,characterised in that the attachment means of the outside face of theposterior part (1) and/or the principal lateral parts (2 a, 2 b) and/orthe secondary lateral parts (14 a, 14 b) and the complementaryattachment means (9 a, 9 b, 15 a, 16 a, 15 b, 16 b, 12 b) consist ofattachment means of the loop/hook or hook/hook type.